Onbashira: Japan’s Dangerous 1,200-Year-Old Festival

Every six years the Suwa area in central Nagano celebrates the Onbashira Festival. Onbashira, which translates to "the honorable pillars," attracts thousands of people each year who participate in moving 16 massive fir tree trunks from the mountains to the shrines of Suwa. To reach the shrines, the trunks are pulled with ropes and ridden down steep hills, through a river and across the streets, in the 1,200-year-old festival. OH! MATSURi captures this exhilarating procession in which we see the trunks' trek to replace the sacred pillars at the four shrines and stand, in honor, for the following six years.

OH! MATSURi is a dedicated portal site that aims at showcasing Japanese Matsuri (festivals) to the world.

Music by MadogarasuTitle: Green4@LHW?

Production: OH! MATSURi team

The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.

Know of a great short film that should be part of our Showcase? Email SFS@ngs.org to submit a video for consideration. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at documentary.com.

Onbashira: Japan’s Dangerous 1,200-Year-Old Festival

Every six years the Suwa area in central Nagano celebrates the Onbashira Festival. Onbashira, which translates to "the honorable pillars," attracts thousands of people each year who participate in moving 16 massive fir tree trunks from the mountains to the shrines of Suwa. To reach the shrines, the trunks are pulled with ropes and ridden down steep hills, through a river and across the streets, in the 1,200-year-old festival. OH! MATSURi captures this exhilarating procession in which we see the trunks' trek to replace the sacred pillars at the four shrines and stand, in honor, for the following six years.

OH! MATSURi is a dedicated portal site that aims at showcasing Japanese Matsuri (festivals) to the world.

Music by MadogarasuTitle: Green4@LHW?

Production: OH! MATSURi team

The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.

Know of a great short film that should be part of our Showcase? Email SFS@ngs.org to submit a video for consideration. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at documentary.com.